1968-1972 Chrysler Sno Runner

Hyped as a sizzler, too little horsepower caused it to fizzle

Feature Article from Hemmings Motor News

According to the most credible of several accounts at Walt Rosenthal's snorunner.com, Chrysler was desperately searching for additional income in the face of one of their interminable series of financial crises, and glommed onto the idea of seizing a piece of the thriving mid-1970s recreational vehicle market. Chrysler Marine had a great small engine in production, the 134cc (8.2-cu.in.) Power Bee 820, which they'd acquired when they bought West Bend in the 1960s. After a startling demonstration at a snowmobile expo, probably in 1976, dealerships were sold and sufficient orders came in to start full-scale production.
Unfortunately, the production Sno Runner was compromised by corporate cost cutting, in particular an unsuitable, restrictive exhaust, which dropped engine output down to about 7hp. That was good for a top speed of around 25 MPH in ideal conditions, but those were specific conditions, indeed. A Sno Runner will really only run on flat, highly groomed trails. Unless the rider is very light, the nickel-plated 21-cleat, three-inch-wide track and fiberglass ski are so narrow that you cannot operate it in powder at all, and it's so unstable that only a very experienced rider would dare tackle ice or slush. Even worse, they ran out of breath at altitude. After an initial surge, sales dropped off sharply. Chrysler Marine ended manufacture after selling an estimated 28,000 between 1979 and 1981, at a retail price of $699. Some leftover stock was liquidated by COMB as "Snorabbits."
The welded aluminum frame integrated a 11/ 3-gallon gas tank, and the major sections were held together with five quick-release pins, "so they'll stow easily, even in a subcompact car," according to Chrysler. They do break down very neatly and will fit in almost any trunk today. Recoil start was the rule for snow machines of the day. The same upgrades that boost power in any two-stroke work well here: upgrading the Tillotson 320A carburetor; de-restricting the muffler; increasing compression with a thinner head gasket; and using fiber reeds will add 60 percent or more horsepower, and another 10-15 MPH, if you dare. Chrysler even developed an experimental 10hp military version for the Army with many of these modifications, and these are sought after today.
Echo and Sears also attempted to manufacture similar vehicles, but only Chrysler put them into production. With good production numbers and excellent support today, a Sno Runner would make a fun, affordable and fairly safe alternative for winter fun.

This article originally appeared in the February, 2013 issue of Hemmings Motor News.